Australian hurdler Lauren Wells says a hard line stance must be taken against drugs in sport. Photo: Cameron Spencer

"Welcome to the world the rest of us all operate under! You cheat you pay the price! #essendon #cleansport," Erickson tweeted after the majority of the 2012 Bombers were banned for a year for Essendon's systemic injection regime.

It's been long established in the culture of every football code the players have total faith the supplements club doctors give them are legal.

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Erickson argues showing leniency for ignorance would only open a loophole for legitimate cheaters to exploit, and believes the hard line stance taken against Essendon will ensure the scandal is a one-off.

"I trust my coach but if he gives me something, I ask what it is and get an explanation of why I'm taking it," he said.

Olympic race walker Chris Erickson says team sports must expect to abide by the same drug rules as athletes in individual sports do. Photo: Getty Images

"It's easy. You jump on your phone, type in the substance and it tells you if it's safe or not.

"Through my time at the Australian Institute of Sport I was working with their medical staff and obviously I've got trust in those guys to know what they're giving us is OK.

"But even then I still check it, it's still your responsibility what goes in your body."

The argument "everyone else in the team is doing it, so will I" doesn't wash with Erickson.

He said there's absolutely no difference between what should be expected of athletes in individual or team sports.

"I agree with the CAS [Court of Arbitration for Sport] decision and for a long time whether education was taken seriously by football clubs or not, this will certainly be a line in the sand moment," he said.

"I think they'll sit up a lot straighter now and realise it's your ultimate responsibility about what goes into your body.

"It's the world us in individual Olympic sports live in and whether you're in a professional team or an individual athlete it should be the same.

"I'm sure the teams like the Opals [Australian women's basketball team], they live in a team environment but the argument the WADA code doesn't fit well with team situations makes no sense."

Erickson said the mass education on drugs given to football clubs means ignorance is no excuse.

"There's probably an element in those Russian athletes they were told this is the way it's done, and you need to take this," he said.

"There's possibly an element of that in the Essendon case, but I highly doubt the Russians were getting the anti-doping education the Essendon players would have been getting.

"They may not necessarily know the extent of the WADA code, but I think in terms of the Essendon case they should have that knowledge because they would have a yearly ASADA thing as soon as they come in."

Canberra Olympic hurdler Lauren Wells said she can sympathise with the Essendon player's plight, but agreed WADA had no option than to take a hard line stance.

"With the Russian athletes being banned, essentially that was a team-like environment with systematic doping," she said.

"I have seen some parallels drawn between Essendon and athletics at the moment.

"On the flipside it would be really hard for some of the rookie players who just want to impress and be part of the team, they'd do whatever it takes.

"I can feel for those athletes if I put myself in their shoes."

However, Wells agrees with Erickson and champion Australian race walker Jared Tallent Russian athletes should be banned from competing at this year's Olympics.

"If it's systematic I have no time for that and we have no place for that in our sport," Wells said.

"I can see how there are grey areas if you have been given something you're not aware [is banned], but as I said you're responsible for what's in your body.

"That's been drummed into us since we were young athletes and that's the line they have to take, otherwise it becomes a bit blurry.

"Even a two year ban for doping [in athletics] I don't think it's enough.

"We need to stamp them out of our sport and the AFL needs to decide which way they want to go in regards to doping."

The current Olympic champion in Wells' event the 400m hurdles is Russian. So too is the world record holder.